(John Nolan/Times photoArianna Galarneau, left, and Anna Caswell, show part of the blue-ribbon winnin)

ROCHESTER — Some children like ponies, others love puppies, and a few special youngsters in the 4-H movement enjoy raising chickens. This is the story of three very responsible girls — two from Milton and one from Wakefield — and their flock of 28 birds. It does not have a happy ending.

Anna Caswell, age 11, is a Nute Middle School sixth grader, who has been in the 4-H Poultry Program for more than six years, and has always enjoyed showing her birds at the Rochester Fair. A year ago, she was joined in her hobby by another NMS sixth grader, her friend Arianna Galarneau, while the third girl in the trio is 8-year-old Abby Caswell from Wakefield, who has been in 4-H for two years.

The flock of chickens are kept on the Caswell girls’ grandparents’ property in Barrington, and Cheryl Huckins, with the support of her husband John, is the leader of this small 4-H group.

In preparation for showing the birds in the 2013 Rochester Fair, the state vet, in accordance with New Hampshire law, came in to test them for two diseases, pullorum and avian influenza, and as it later turned out, the flock was free of both these scourges. However, as John Huckins recalls, the testing was done on a hot and humid day, and the vet noticed something funny with the chickens’ breathing.

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The Galarneau, Huckins and Caswell families have been praised by 4-H organizers for their “honesty, integrity and advocacy,” in relation to tackling a devastating chicken disease. From left are Mark, Arianna and Stephanie Galarneau, Anna Caswell, and Cheryl and John Huckins. The girls are holding photographs of their pets, Mel and Finn. (John Nolan/Times photo)

“The vet thought he heard a rattle,” said John Huckins, adding that the state vet suggested the chickens also be tested for a respiratory disease called mycoplasmosis, which is caused by both Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg) and Mycoplasma synoviae (Ms). Although the same blood samples taken for the compulsory pollorum and avian influenza tests are used, the MS/MG tests cost an additional $2 a bird.

“We thought it worth while to pay an extra $50,” said John Huckins.

“Fifty-six dollars,” chipped in Anna Caswell.”

When the results came back from the state lab, nine of the 28 chickens proved positive for MS/MG.

Cheryl Huckins, who serves on the county 4-H advisory board along with her husband, said, “Because the disease cannot be eliminated, the kids decided not only to keep their birds home and not bring them to the fair and risk infecting other people’s flocks, they decided that euthanizing the flock and starting over next spring is the best way to ensure that their chickens are healthy and not a threat to other birds.”

She continued, “We think the girls are pretty amazing for having accepted this and making such a responsible decision. These chickens are their pets. They raise them from chicks and love them… so it was a very hard thing for them to face.”

Both Arianna and Anna have favorite birds. One is a hen called Mel, which sometimes lives in Milton with Arianna, and loves to perch on her shoulder. The other is a bantam that Anna has named Finn, and which follows her everywhere, protesting when she walks too fast.

Anna said, “I love him and he followed me around and now he has to be euthanized. I feel hurt inside, but not angry, because it is the right thing to do.”

Arianna said that she cried after making the decision.

“Mel is a Black Cochin. I feel it is something there and then it’s gone,” she said sadly, acknowledging the inevitability of her pet’s fate.

“You are grieving ahead of time,” said Cheryl Huckins, sympathetically.

“And it will be a learning experience, trying to change things,” said Arianna’s mom, Stephanie.

Lobbying for law change

She was referring to an idea that the girls have to lobby for a change in state law, to make testing for MS/MG obligatory if poultry are going to be shown at fairs. This disease, although devastating to poultry, does not affect humans who can eat the meat and eggs of infected birds without coming to harm. This may be the reason why testing is not required at present, theorized Anna Caswell.

In lobbying for a law change, they are considering contacting their local state representative, John Mullen, who covers Middleton and Milton, to explain the need.

The girls would also like to see the MS/MG testing cost of $2 per bird reduced to under a dollar, because it does not necessitate taking an additional blood sample, and because some people have 100 birds or more in their flocks and the accumulated cost would become significant.

It is important for all chickens in a flock to be tested, and not just those destined for a show, because even if the show birds test negative, they will be carriers if any others in the coop are infected.

The actions by the girls and their families have won praise from Strafford County 4-H organizers.

Said Program Coordinator Jillian Hall, “Strafford County 4-H is proud of the honesty, integrity and advocacy of the Galarneau, Huckins and Caswell families. We strive to promote best practices in animal husbandry and biosecurity.

“While we are saddened by these unfortunate events, we are hopeful that they will serve as a powerful learning experience. We encourage all of our youth members to be active, thoughtful and engaged citizens. We look forward to supporting these families as they share their story. We also wish to thank the Rochester Fair and the Page family for helping the girls to remain active exhibitors in the Rochester Fair 4-H Poultry Show.”

This year, the girls were loaned chickens by their friends in 4-H, and were able to participate in the Fit & Show and Quiz Bowl contests, which display various aspects of poultry knowledge.

Also, this year, the three girls were awarded a blue ribbon for their exhibit in the 4-H building. Their creation included photos of all their chickens, which they had then cut out, laminated and mounted on stands within a replica of their coop. The various breeds include Auracang, Mille Fleur, Light Brahma, Cochin, Polish, Crevecouer and Australorp.

Their plan is to keep their 28 doomed chickens through the winter, because their eggs are perfectly safe, and then euthanize them at the beginning of March. Mel and Finn, pledge the girls, will receive a proper burial. They will not be eaten.

The coop in Barrington will then be thoroughly disinfected, and eggs will be purchased from an American Poultry Association approved breeder. Thus the cycle of will begin anew. The girls will hatch the eggs in an incubator, and plan to have their chickens at the next Rochester Fair in September, 2014, by which time the birds will be almost six months old.